Collection Overview

Humanities & Social Sciences Communications has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on The psychology of goal setting.

Recent research has underscored the complex cognitive and emotional processes underlying goal pursuit. Constructs such as fantasy realisation theory, cognitive fantasising about the future, and mental contrasting have brought new clarity to the motivational dynamics that distinguish indulging (focusing solely on positive future outcomes) from dwelling (focusing only on present obstacles) and the efficacy of reverse contrasting strategies. 

This will be a Collection of empirical studies, meta-analyses, theoretical frameworks, or applied research relevant to real-world goal setting in multiple contexts, including educational, occupational, or organisational contexts and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Humanities & Social Sciences Communications more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 4th May 2026.

Why is this Collection important? 

"Goal setting remains one of the most consequential yet understudied areas in psychology. This collection bridges motivation science with real-world impact across educational, organizational, and personal domains. By integrating emerging frameworks with established constructs, it moves the field beyond simplistic "SMART goals" advice and offers practitioners actionable, evidence-based insights. By submitting to this Collection, researchers can gain visibility among a multidisciplinary audience of scholars and practitioners actively seeking innovative approaches to enhance human motivation and achievement, while helping to position goal-setting psychology at the forefront of applied psychological science." - Dr. Hilary Ng

"I did research about students' goal-setting and its impact on their psychology and academic achievements. I hope to share my research with the research community." - Dr. Honggang Liu

Why submit to a Collection? 

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.

Who is involved? 

Guest Editors:

• Honggang Liu, Soochow University, China
• Hilary Ng, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Gino D'Oca, Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, UK
• Commissioning Editor: Joe Cockman, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Anthony Heron, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper? 

Visit the Collection Page to find out more about this Collection and how to submit your article.